Improvement in the purification of cast-iron



J. W. MIDDLETON.-

, PURIFICATION OF OAST' 1mm.

Nb. 110,666. Patented Jan. 3, 1871.

anmai sang pumcum.

JOHN W. MIDDLETON, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

Letters latent No. 110,6fi6, dated January 3, 1871 anteda ted December 221, 187.0.

IMPROVEMENT IN THE PURIFICATION OF CAST-IRON.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and put of the lame.

I, JOHN W. MmnLE'rox, of the city of Philadelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in the Purification of Cast-Iron in partially deoarburct-izing' the samc into steel; in more perfectly decarburetizing the same into malleable iron, and in the apparatus therefor; of which the following is a specification.

Nature and Objects of the Invention.

The first part of my invention relates to the combination, with a paddling, boiling, or refinery-furnace, of aseries of blast-pipe tuycrcs, projecting downward through the top or sides, or both, of the furnace, so.

as to open near the surface of the melted metal in a pool or pools, in the bottomof the latter, in such a manner that hot air, superheated steam, or gas, may

" be driven through the said tuyeles at various angles in relation to thc bottom of the furnace, into the melted metal in the pool, by a very strong or powerful blast, and in sudden powerful alternating gushes or jcts from the said tuycrcs; .the object, of this part of myinvention being to produce, by means of thc said powerful jcts or sudden gushes, t-ransvcrsc interruptions of the melted mass in the pool, and other ngit-ations, cfi'crvcscings, and kncadings of the whole mass as to thoroughly expose every part of the same to the chemical and mechanical action of the said powerful jets; thus effecting in a morctliorougli,pcrfcct, and expeditious manner the results obtained by window in the slide can be readily brought into jux taposition with the opening in the wall of tho furnacc to afford the observation dcsircd; and so, also, that the slide can be as readily slipped asidc,vso as to withdraw the mica or glass from before the opening in the wall of the furnace and thus protect it from injury by the direct heat of the furnace, without uncovering the said opening in the wall of the furnace.

The third part of my invention relates to the com-" bination, with tho puddling, boiling, or-roiining furnacc, provided with the blast-pipes and tuycrcs, previously pointed out or namcd, of a vertical stationary reservoir for receiving and purifying, by gravitation, melted cast-iron direct from a blast-furnace, and communicating, by an adjustable stop at its lower end and snitable'clmnnels in the bottom of the furnace, with the pool or pools for puddling the melted metal, in such a manner that the metal, tree from its lighter impurities 'and slag, may be run into the said .pool or pools when required; the object of this plrt of my invention being to economise time, heat, and fuel, by making the process continuous from the blast-furnace to the completion of the same. 7

DdSClfilIE'iOll of the Accompanying Dru-wings. Figure 1 is a plan view of one of a series of the furnaces,

in connection with sect-ions of two others, communiy cating' with one and the same reservoir for supplying the impure metal to the-pools, the top of the furnacc being removed in order to expose the interior.

Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal section on tho dottcd lines o w of fignl.

- General Description.

A A are two like pools, in the bottom of the furnace, communicating with each other and with the reservoir 13, by means of channels a of and b, and alsowith the outside of the furnace by means of a." channel, a, and an outlet pipe of fire-brick, O.

D is a vertically-sliding gate, for opening and closing I or regulating the draughtthrough the furnace from the fire-grate E, and to shut off the furnace during the process of refining, causing the waste-heal: and gas to pass under the boilers for generating steam, beating the blast, or calcining ore, and continuously passed off in that way, when refining is not going on, if heat be needed for repairs or other purposes, or to direct; the escape through any suitable opening in the top of the furnace.

F F EF- 1 are the inclined tuycrcs or blast-pipes,

projecting downward into the pool A, (this-one only being nscd,) through the top and sides of the furnacc. 7

Each of the pipes F are intended to connect with a main blast-pipe, not shown, communicating with a powerful blast-driver, in such a manner that; each of the tuycrcs will be fully supplied thereby.

Each of the pipes is intended to be fitted with a stop-cock, not shown, as near as practicable to the outside of the furnace, so that a very powerful blast of the hot air,- superhcated steam, or gas may be driven through it by'suddenjets into the pool A.

The tuyer'es are arranged and directed so as to force their respective blast in transverse oblique directions into the melted mass.

The blast is intended to be caused, by suddenly opening and closing the diffcrent cocks, to enter in alternating and powerful jets, in such a manner as to produce changes and combinations of forces striking and entering the melted metal in the pool as will cause constant and powerful commotions, boilings, or efi'ervescingsin the melted mass, and thus effect the rapid decarbiu'etiziug of the metalin thepool, and its refinement; into steel or malleable iron, as may be desired, which'result, it the heat be suflicient and the nature of the metal will permit, is intended to be run out through the gutter a" and pipe 0 into hot molds, not shown, which will give it the form of ingots; but if the heat be not sufficient, or the nature of the metal be not suitable for running into ingot molds, then the tenacious mass is intended to be balled, taken out and submitted to the squeeze'r, in the usual manner of consolidating iron into blooms.

One of the windows for the observation of the progress or state of the melted metal in the pool is shown at H, the dotted line 1: in fig. 2, indicating the slidingwiudow plate and its guides. Several such slidingwindow plates are intended to be applied to thewa-lls of the furnace, so that an observation can be made from as many different points.

The reservoir 13 is a'deep stationary vessel, lined inside, and protected outside by fire-brick, and pro- 'vided with an outlet near its bottom, so that when the said outlet; is opened the 'melted metal will flow therefrom into the groovcleading into the'pool in the bottom of the furnace.

The upper end of this vessel is intended to be a little below the hearth of the blast-furnace, not shown, so that the melted products of the said furnace may be run directly into the said vessel B, which, being kept heated, will permit the separation of the iron from the slag by gravitation.

It is intended, when expedient and desirable, to introduce by hand into the furnace solid pig-iron, or scrap-iron, to be operated upon in the said furnace in the same manner asupon the melted iron from the reservoir B.

Claims.

I claim as my invention- 1. The employment of hot air, superheated steam, or gas, directed and discharged invarious places bynumerous air-gun like shots or shooting gushes, of short duration, or some five hundred to iit'tccn hundred of siuldonly-cubotf jets, into the metal in the pool of iron and slag, or ot'a refining, boiling, or pud tiling-furnace, and thus making an atmospheric knead-v ing-likc process for working out impurities, as well as dccarburetizing and otherwise purifying fluid-iron, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. The combination with a puddling, boiling, or refining-furnace, of a series of the sliding-window plates H, ot'fire-brick, for the purpose of covering suitable opeuingsmade through the walls of the furnace, when the said sliding plates are each provided with an eyeopcniug, covered or closed tightly by thick glass or mica plates, so that the said glass or mica-covered opening can be brought into juxtaposition wit-htho opening in the wall of the furnace, to afiord a View of the interior, and of the pools, and tuyercs, and of the metal operated upon in the furnace, and so that the said slides can be moved back again to proteottho glass or mica from injury, without allowing 'any of the blast to be forced out between the said slide and the wall of the furnace, substantially as described and set forth. a

3. The combination with a refining, puddling, or boiling-furnace, of any form or description, of a series of pipes or tuycres F l", projecting in downward-sloping directions, through the top or sides of the furnace or through both top and sides into the same, and coinmnnicating at their outer ends with the blast-pipe, and any sudden cut-oil device to produce sudden airguu-like'shots of blast, substantially as and for the purposes hereiubefore set forth.

Witnesses:

BENJ. Momsox, WM. H. Momsos. 

